Automatic safety vacuum lock



Feb. 1, 1944. e. OTT

AUTOMATIC SAFETY VACUUM LOCK I 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 16. 1942 Feb. 1, 1944. G. OTT 2,340,424

AUTOMATIC SAFETY VACUUM LOCK Fi led Feb. 16, 1942 s Shets-Sheet 2 G. OTT A 2,340,424

AUTOMATIC SAFETY VACUUM LOCK Filed Feb. 16, 194; s Sheets-Sheet 3 I INVENTOR. 66 $0229 Patented Feb. 1, 194.4

UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE AUTOlllATIC Sm VACUUM LOCK George Ott, Philadelphia, Pa. Application February 16. 1942, Serial No. 431,064 3 Claims. (Cl. Bil-82) The present invention relates to a certain new and useful automatic locking device for doors and the like and it relates more particularly to an automatic device for locking the doors of an automobile.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple, dependable and efficient auxiliary locking device for the doors of an automobile or the like. Another object of the present inthermore, do not permit closing of the door when the looking unit is in looking position. The priorart devices, in looking the doors from the outside as well as from the inside, produce a grave hazard vention is to provide an automatic safety lock which will prevent the doors of an automobile from being opened while the automobile is in motion.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic auxiliary lock for the doors of an automobile which will prevent the doors of the automobile from being opened from the inside while the motor is running but which will permit the doors to be opened from the outsidewhile the motor is running.

object of the present invention is to provide manually controllable vacuum-operated automatic auxiliary locking means which will prevent inadvertent or accidental opening of the doors of an automobile from running but which, at the same time, will permit the doors to be opened from the outside and to be closed.

Other objects, purposes and advantages are apparent in the following specification and claims and in the accompanying drawings.

In brief, the present invention comprises a safety lock for the doors of an automobile or the like including a unit door post orjamb and a cooperating unlt disposed in mobile, said units having latches which, when both extended, overlap to prevent opening of the door. The unit disposed in the door post or iamb is controlled by running of the engine so that the latch thereof is in extended position when the en- 40 and is retracted when the engine unit disposed in the door normally has its latch in extended position, the latch being adapted to be retracted upon turning of the outer door handle; the inner being inoperative to retract said latch. The safety lock of the present invention also includes means permitting the door to be closed while the latch of the engine-operated unit is in extended position.

While safety locks for doors of automobiles have been known in the past, the safety locks of the prior art have had several disadvantages in that they look the doors against opening from the outside as well as from the inside and, fur- An additional- 20 which may very well have fatal consequences should an accident occur. For example, should a car, employing an old-type lock (which locks both the outside door handles and the inside door handles) be involved in an accident after which the motor continues running, it would be impossible for would-be rescuers to reach the occupants of the car. For example, should a car be involved in a rear-end collision which ignites the fuel in the gas tank and overturns the car but which, at the same time, leaves the engine still running, the conventional safety locks would, by locking the outer door handles, prevent rescuers from getting to the unconscious occupants of the car. It can be seen that the additional time or facilities required to break into the car through the locked doors might very well result in fatalities the inside while the motor is 2 the autoas door handle 4 which could have been prevented had the outer door handles not been so locked.

The novel safety lock of the present invention. on the other hand, while locking the inner door handles against inadvertent or accidental opening while the car is in operation, leaves the outer door handles operative, at all times, to open the doors and, thus, the present safety lock affords distinct and pronounced advantages over the prior-art constructions.

Another advantage possessed by the safety lock of the present invention is that the door can be closed should the engine be started while the door is open, in contradistinction to old-type locks which prevent the door from being closed after the engine has been started until either the motor is re-stopped or the locking unit is rendered inoperative.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the accompanying'drawings one form thereofwhich is at present preferred, since the same has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which the invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and organizations of the instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

Referring to the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters indicate like parts throughout: I

Figure 1 represents a side elevational view of an Bl automobile equipped with one embodiment oi the safety lock or the present invention; parts being.

.pears when the motor is running and the doors are closed.

Figure 4 represents a view similar to that of Figure 3 but showing the look as it appears when the outer door handles have been turned preliminary to opening the doors.

Figure 5 represents a view similar to those of Figures 3 and 4 but showing the look as it appears after the motor has stopped but while the doors are closed.

Figure 6 represents a view similar to that of Figure 3 but showing the safety look as it appears while the door is benig closed with themotor running. v

Figure 7 represents a vertical cross-sectional view of the vacuum-operated latch portion of the safety lock of the present invention as it appears when the motor has been stopped and the vacuum dissipated so that the latches are springpressed to their retracted position.

Figure 8 represents a side elevational view of the latch portion shown in Figure 7.

Figure 9 represents a cross-sectional view generally along the line 9-3 of Figure 7.

Figure 10 represents an elevational view of the suction-controlling valve mechanism showing the valve in closed position.

Figure 11 represents a cross-sectional view generally along the line ll-Il of Figure 10.

Figure 12 represents a crosssectional view along the line |2l2 of Figure 11 but showing the valve in open position.

Figure 13 represents a cross-sectional view generally along the line |3l3 of Figure 1.

In Figures 1 to 13, I have shown one embodiment or my automatic auxiliary door lock installed on an automobile having conventional oppositely-hinged front and rear doors 2| and 22 separated by a central door post or iamb 23 having front and rear locking recesses 24 and 25 with which the normally-outwardly-springpressed latches 26 and 21 of conventional front and rear door locks 28 and 23 are adapted to engage and dis-engage in conventional manner upshafts 34 and of the outer handles 30 and 3| keying directly into the locks 28 and 23, while the inner handles 32 and 33 are connected to the locks by conventional linkarms 36 and 31, respectively.

While the drawings and the description refer y to the two doors on one side or the autoother side of the automobile.

With the conventional door locks and inner and outer handles hereinabove described, it is apwith another vehicle.

' It should be noted that conventional means which are provided for locking the doors from Accordingly, I provide separate auxiliary looking means which prevent the doors from being upon turning of the outer door handles and also permit the doors to be closed.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 13,

I provide, within a lower portion of the door against the wall of the cylinder 33.

A rod 42 is threaded at one end 43 thereof and at its upper end; a transversely-extending pin 45 passing through, and being supported by, said 0 A frame 46 having a transverse dimension approximating that of the door post 23 and havconventional means, as for example the bolts 41. The frame 46 includes side plates 48 having vertical slots 49 therein; the projecting ends the side plates 48 of theframe 46. The latches 52 and 53 have conventionalouter portions I the portions 56 and 51 and which contain slots in and 6| through which the pin 45 passes.

when the piston 48 and the pin 45 are in their uppermost positions, the toggle joint is in itsretracted position in which the portions 58 and 51 extend downwardly from the pins 54 and 55 as shown in Figures 7 and 8 and in which the portions 58 and 59 extend upwardly at an angle from said pins 54 and 55. when, due to downward movement of the piston 49, the pin 45 moves downwardly within the slots 49, the

toggle Joint moves to its extended position in which the outer portions 58 and 51 of the latches 52 and 53 extend generally horizontally outward from the pins 54 and 55 in semaphorefashion asshown in Figures 2, 3 and 6; the portions 58 and 59 extending downwardly at an angle from said pins 54 and 55.

When the portions 58 and 51 arein their extendedposition as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 6, they extend outwardly beyond the line of the door post 23 through openings 62 and 63 in front and rear end plates 54 and 85 of the frame 45. The front and rear end plates 84 and 85 of the frame 48 areogenerally flush with the sides of the door post 23 and'are fastened therein by screws 58 which support the unit 38 within the post 23.

As shown particularly in Figures 3and 6, the

'outer portions 58 and 51 of the latches 52 and 53 do not, when extended, prevent the closing of the doors 2| and 22 but extend for more than half the clearance between the post 23 and the doors 2| and 22.

The piston 40 is normally held in itsuppermost position within the cylinder 39 by a coil spring 91.

Means are provided whereby the vacuum, created by the engine of the car when it is running, can be transmitted to the cylinder 39 to pull the piston 49 downwardly therein against the pressure of the spring 61; the upper end of the cylinder 39 being open to the atmosphere. This means may include a conduit 68 which may be connected at one end to the engine, as shown in Figure 1, preferably to the intake manifold of the engine. The conduit 88, at its other end, may be connected to the cylinder 39 so that the vacuum or suction created in the intake manifold, when the engine is running, can be transmitted to the cylinder 39.

ward against, and seated upon, the valve seat 12 e by a coil spring disposed within the bore 13; said spring 15 being supported, at its lower end, upon a drilled nut 18 which is screwthreadedly disposed within the lower end of the bore 13 and which forms a fluid-tight seal with said bore 13 through the compression gasket 11.

The conduit 88 is connected to the drilled nut 18 by means of a collar 18 which encircles the end of the conduit 58 and which is screw threadedly disposed within the lower end of said drilled nut I8. Thus, a direct vacuum line leads from the intake manifold of the engine through the conduit 88, the drilled nut 15, the bore I3 and the apertured neck II, to the cylinder 39.

At any convenient point intermediate the ends of the conduit 88-, I may provide means for shutting oi! the conduit so that the suctionfrom the :rgigine is no longer transmitted to the cylinder In Figures 10, 11 and 12 I have shown one form of cut-oil! for the conduit 98. The cut-of! may include a housing 88 which has a drilled bore 8|, to the ends of which the conduit is adapted to be connected. Thus, the bore 8| forms a part of the line of the conduit 88. A frusto-conical opening is provided transversely of the housing and a correspondingly frustoconical plug 82 is fitted within said opening so as to pass across the drilled bore 8|. The plug 92 is provided with a'bore 83 which may be brought into or out of registration with the bore 8| upon rotation of the plug 82. The'plug 82 may protrude, at its smaller end, beyond the housing 89 and may have its protruding end 84 screw threaded to receive a nut 85 and a tension spring 88 which hold the plug within the housing 88.

At its larger end, the plug 82 may be provided with an arm 81 which, at its other end, is provided with a swivellably mounted apertured collar 88 having a set screw 89.

A flexible metal cable 99 having an outer flexible sheathing 9| has one end disposed within the collar 88 and fastened therein by the set screw 89. The other end of the cable 90 is connected to an operating handle 92 which may be connected at any suitable point, as for example, below the dash board 93.

The cable may be set so that, when the handle 92 is pushed in, the arm 81 is swung to rotate the plug 82 sufiiciently to move the bore 83 out of registration with the bore 8| and thus to break the vacuum line between the intake manifold and the cylinder 39. When, on the other hand, the handle 92 is pulled out, the arm 81 is swung clock-wise to rotate the plug 82 sufliciently to bring the bore 83 into registration with the bore 8| and thus to re-establish the suction line between the intake manifold and the cylinder 39.

It is apparent that, when suction is transmitted to the cylinder 39, the piston 40 and the pin 45 are moved downward so that the portions 58 and 51 of the latches 52 and 53 are in their outwardly-extending positions. When, on the other hand, no suction is transmitted to the cylinder 39, either because the engine is stopped or because the valve plug 82 is turned to its closed held in upright position by coil springs 98 and 99. In the normal upright position of the latches 94 and 95, the portions I90 and IM thereof protrude, through suitable openings, beyond the edge of the doors 2| and 22 more than half-way across the clearance between the doors 2| and 22 and the post 23 as shown in Figures 3 and 5.

The latches 94 and 95 are adapted to be rotated upon their pins 9|; and 91 so as to retract the l I 09, respectively.

When the outer door handles 30 and 3| are in their closed position as shown in solid lines in Figure 2, the links I and I01 are also in their uppermost positions so as to permit upward movement of the pins H0 and III and to permit the latches 04 and II to be rotated by the springs 00 and 90 into the positions in which the portions I00 and III of the latches 04 and 00 protrude beyond the edge of the doors as shown in Figures 3 and 5. When, on the other hand, the door handles are turned downward into the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 2, in order to retract the latches 20 and 21 (to open the door) the links I00 and I01 are moved downward to force the pins III and III downward and to cause the latches 04 and 05 to rotate against the springs 98 and 00 so as to swing -the-portions Ill and MI of the latches 04 and" into their retracted positions shown in Figure 4.

It should be noted that, since the inner door handles operate the latches and 21 of the locks 20 and 20 independently of the outer handles,

turning of the inner handles 32 and 33 will not move the links I00 and I01 and will not retract the portions I00 and IOI of the latches 04 and 00.

It can be seen that when the portions 08 and 01 of the latches l2 and 03 are in their extended position and when the portions 1 00 and MI of the latches 94 and 00 are also in their extended position, they overlap as shown particularly in Figure 3 so that it is impossible to open the doors. That is, unless either the portions and 01 or the portions I00 and III are retracted. neither the front door 2i nor'the rear door 22 can be opened.

Thus, in effect, the latches i2 and 53 of the unit 38 and the latches 04 and 05 in the front and rear doors 2| and 22 act as auxiliary locks: for the front and rear doors; these auxiliary locks keeping the doors shut regardless of whether the regulation front and rear door locks 20 and 20 are closed or open. It can be seen that the por-'- tions 56 and 51 will be retracted only when the vacuum is not transmitted to the cylinder (either because the motor is stopped or beca se the shut-om valve in the conduit 00 is closedl.

. When the portionsli'and 01 are thus retracted, the auxiliary lock is inoperative, since the portions I00 and IN, even when extended, do not inner handles 22 and 03 does not affect the latches 04 and 05 so that, when the cylinder 20 is evacuated, and the portions 56 and 51 are extended, the doors 2i and 22. cannot be opened from the inside.

I also provide means which permit the doors, after having been opened with the motor running and with the portions and 51 extended, to be closed without retracting the portions 00 and 01. As can be seen particularly in Figure 6, when the doors are open and when the portions 06 and 01 are extended, a closing of the doors will cause the camming surfaces H2 and II3 of the protruding portions I00 andIOI to slide over the camming surfaces-I I4 and-I I 5 of the portions 00 and 01 and thus to swing the latches 94 and '98 upon their pins and 01 against their springs 90 and 09 suiilciently to retract the portions I00 and IM until they clear the portions 00 and 01 and allow the door to close, whereupon the latches 04 and 00 will be pulled back to their extended position by the springs 00 and 09. During such closing of the doors and rotation of the latches 04 and 00, the pins I04 and III! of said latches l4 and 00 move downwardly within the slotslll and I00 of the links I00 and I01 and also swing the links I00 and I01 slightly outwardly from their normally vertical position.

The operation of the safety lock of the present invention will now briefly be described.

As stated above, when the motor is not run-' ning, the auxiliary lock of the present invention is inoperative since the portions 56 and 01 are re tracted. When the motor is started with the shut-oif valve plug 82 in the closed position, the safety lock of the present invention still remains inoperative and the door handles will continue to be operable in the usual manner. When, however, the shut-oi! valve plug 02 is turned to the open position, suction from the intake manifold of the motor is transmitted through the conduit 00, the

bore a, the drilled nut 10, and the bore 1: to I unseat the valve 14 and to permit the suction to be transmitted further through the apertured neck 1I .and into the cylinder 39.- vThe vacuum thus created in the cylinder 39 will pull the piston 40 downwardly therein against the spring 41 to operate the toggle joint and tomove the portions 00 and 01 to their extended position to prevent opening of the doors when the portions 00 and 01 are retracted. When, on the other hand, the portions 06 and 01 are in their extended position, the front door 2I can be opened only by retracting the portion I00 and the rear door 22 can beopened only by retracting the portion cause the safety lock of the present invention to become operative and to permitthefront and rear doors 2i and 22 to be opened onlyby operation of the outer door handles 30 and SI as described hereinabove: the inner handles 32 and It being no longer capable of opening said doors. So long as suction is being transmitted through the conduit 08 to the cylinder 30, the portions 68 and 01 remain extended and the safety lock prevents opening of the doors by the inner handles.

The spring-pressed valve 14 prevents the safety lock of the present invention from becoming inoperative due to fluctuations in suction. It is well known that, during periods of sudden acceleration or load upon the engine, the suction created drops considerably. If means were not provided to counteract the eflect of these drops in suction, the suction within the cylinder 00 might drop, celeration or maximum load, to a point at which the spring 01 would drive the piston 40 upward to retract the portions 00 and 01 and thus to render the safety lock inoperative while the car were moving. I, therefore, provide the springpressed valve 14 which acts as a check-valve at during periods of rapid engine acthe suction within the conduit 63 and the bore 13 drop sothat it is less than the suction within the cylinder 39, the spring-pressed valve 14 will automatically close to seal off the lower end of the cylinder 39 and thus to retain sumcient suction within the said cylinder 39 to keep the piston 40 in its downward position so that the portions 56 and 51 remain extended and the safety lock remains operative.

While the safety lock of the present invention is in the upward position as above described with the portionsiii and 51 extending, turning of the inner door handles 32 and 33, while opening the conventional locks 28 and 29, will not open the safety lock so that the door handles remain closed. Thus, it is impossible for children or other occupants of the car to open the doors accidentally while the engine is running. However, as above described, turning of the front door outer handle 30 will not only open the conventional lock 28 but will also, through operation of the arm I02 and the link I06, rotate the latch 94 to retract the portion I thereof,- thereby to permit opening of the front door 2|.

, Similarly, turning of the rear door outer handle 3| will not only open the conventional lock 29 but will also, through operation of the arm I03 and the link I01, rotate the latch 93 to retract the portion Illl thereof, thereby to permit opening of the rear door 22.

Of course, the seal provided by the valve 11 is not absolutely fluid-tight and slow leakage of air across said valve 14 occurs to permit gradual dissipation of the vacuum in the cylinder 39 and 1. A safety door lock for an automobile having a door equipped with an outer handle and an inner handle, said lock comprising engine-operated retraction of the portions 53 and 51 when the suction is permanently cut off from the bore 13 either upon stopping of the engine or upon clos ing of the valve plug 82.

When the suction is thus permanently cut off from the bore 13, upon stopping of theengine or upon closing of the valve plug 82, the leakage of 1 air across the valve 1 gradually reduces the suc-, tion within the cylinder 39 to a point at which the pressure of the spring 61 is suflicient to move the piston 40 upward and to-retract the portions 53 and 51 so that the safety lock of the present invention is no longer operative to prevent opening of either door from the inside.

While the safety lock of the present invention is intended primarily for use in four-door sedan type automobiles, it may, of course, be used equally well in two-door sedan type automobiles to prevent accidental or inadvertent opening of the doors from the inside while the car is in motion. In this case, the vacuum-operated .unit would be installed in the jamb of the front doors and, as is obvious, the latch 53 of the vacuumoperated unit would be superfluous and would be dispensed with.

The present invention may be embodied in a other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I hereby claim as new and desire to be secured Letters Patent is:

latch means disposed in the jamb of said door and having alatch normally spring-pressed to a retracted position within said jamb, said latch being movable to an extended position partially bridging the gap between the jamb and the door under the influence of engine-generated suction, latch means disposed within said door in juxtaposition to said first-mentioned engine-operated latch means and having a latch normally springpressed to an extended position partially bridging saidgap and overlapping the extended latch of said first-mentioned latch means-so as to pre-- vent opening of said door when the engine is running and the engine-operated latch is extended,

' and means operable only by the outer door hannormally urged to its retracted position and the latch in said door being normally urged to its extended position, means operated by engine-created suction for extending the latch in said jamb, and means operable only by the outer door handle for retracting the latch in said door.

3. A safety door lock for an automobile or the like having a front door, a rear door and an intervening jamb post, each of said doors having an outer handle and an inner handle; said lock comprising engine-operated latch means disposed in said post and having a pair of oppositely-disposed latches normally spring-pressed to retracted position within said post, means operated by running of the engine for simultaneously moving said latches to extended position partially bridging the respectivegaps between the post and the front and rear door, latch means disposed within the front door in juxtaposition to said engineoperated latch means and having a latch normally spring-pressed to an extended position partially bridging the gap between the front door and the, post and overlapping the extended latch of the engine-operated latch means so as to prevent opening of said front door when the engine is running and the engine-operated latch is extended, means operable only by the front door outer handle for retracting the latch in said front door, latch means disposed within the rear door in juxtaposition to said engine-operated latch means and having a latch normally springpressed to an extended position partially bridging the gap between the rear door and the post and overlapping the extended latch of the engineoperated latch means so as to prevent opening of said rear door when the engine is running and the engine-operated latch is extended, and means operable only by the rear door outer handle for retracting the latch in said rear door. 

